IS EMAIL MARKETING ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE?

Can I share something that I haven’t discussed publicly before? I am seriously concerned about the number of people who would have you believe that email marketing is the holy grail of business success. It’s not. And it's time to stop the email marketing madness!
You can’t log online nowadays without being nearly assaulted with ad after ad of “coaches” and “consultants” telling you how to get your first 1,000 email subscribers. Now it’s so easy to get online and sell stuff, everyone is online and selling stuff. Create a ‘compelling lead magnet.’ Spend a few quid on Facebook ads, despite their low conversion rate, and you’re on your way to online success.

Just because something is a trend doesn’t mean it’s effective or you should do it.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Email marketing has a time and place as part of your integrated marketing strategy, Done right, it has a number of benefits:

It can be highly targeted to different customer segments.

It regularly exposes your customers to your brand, and is a valuable part of an integrated marketing strategy.

It’s shareable.

It’s measurable.

It’s relatively cost effective as a low budget marketing activity.

But:

Done badly it can appear ‘spammy’ and turn potential customers off.

Sent too frequently, email messages are annoying and quickly consigned to junk. Or the recipient will simply hit the ‘unsubscribe button.’ Something I do frequently!

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But Don’t You, Denyse?

Now at this point, you might be saying ‘But Denyse, you use email marketing.’ That’s true, I do. But I understand its place in my marketing strategy and crucially its limitations. I try hard to offer value in every email I write by linking them to an article I've written. I rarely promote my services. Rather I view email as a form of ongoing marketing communications rather than as a sales strategy in and of itself.

I think of email marketing as if I’m sending a letter to a friend. My intention is that the content I write inspires, delights, educates or amuses its recipients. And that my emails, like a good letter from a friend, are eagerly awaited. At least by some!

The Most Effective Forms of Marketing

A survey conducted by Infusionsoft found that the very best forms of marketing are Word of Mouth and customer referrals followed by email marketing and networking.

Email marketing is a far more effective strategy by a factor of 40 than social media when it comes to acquiring customers, according to the global consulting firm, McKinsey. But their research reveals that organic search is 10 times more effective as a marketing strategy for acquiring customers than email marketing.

If you’re running an e-commerce operation, email marketing is an essential tool in your marketing armoury. 25.1% of transactions come from emails sent as part of a Black Friday campaign, making email the biggest driver of sales.

The truth is that the most successful combination of marketing activities depends on which work best in your particular industry and with your specific audience and with your unique skill. Skillful email marketing will not produce the best results if it’s not the right medium for your industry, product and audience. While your audience will quickly be turned off – probably fatally - by spammy email marketing.

Time To Stop The Email Marketing Madness

Do learn how to improve your skill levels from genuine email marketing experts if it’s integral to the success of your integrated marketing strategy. But please, please make sure you’re not caught up in the email marketing madness if it's not the right channel for your business.

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Join The Conversation

Question: Have you got caught up in the email marketing madness? I love reading your feedback so please do take a moment to share how you’re going to use this in the comments box below.

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Work With Me

I’m Denyse Whillier, a Sussex and London based business coach and consultant. I work with responsible business leaders to build profitable and successful brands that do good, make money and help to change the world. I draw on Built To Succeed™, my proven success system, developed during my 8 years in the trenches as a CEO.

I’d love to start a conversation about whether we’re a good fit to work together. Simply use this link to arrange an informal Skype coffee chat. There’s no hard sell. Just solid advice and a straightforward, honest assessment of whether 1:1 business coaching (or business consultancy) would be right for you.